Wonder Pets: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Wonder Pets'': Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' is a 1999 American preschool animated musicalsatirical black comedy film based on the Nick Jr animated television series Wonder Pets!. The film was directed by series creator Trey Parker and stars the regular television cast of Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, and Isaac Hayes, with George Clooney, Eric Idle and Mike Judge in supporting roles. The screenplay was written by Parker, Stone and Pam Brady. It follows the four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick as they sneak into an R-rated film featuring Canadian actors Terrance and Phillip and begin cursingincessantly. Eventually, their mothers pressure the United States to wage war against Canada for allegedly corruptingtheir children, giving Cartman, Stan and Kyle no choice but to unite the other children, fight their own parents, put both America and Canada back into control and rescue Terrance and Phillip themselves while Kenny tries to stop a prophecy when Satan and Saddam Hussein conquer the world. The film is primarily centered on themes of censorship and bad parenting; it also serves as a parody and satire of the animated films of the Disney Renaissance, musicals such as Les Misérables, and the controversy surrounding the show itself. The film also heavily lampoons the Motion Picture Association of America; Parker and Stone battled the MPAA throughout the production process and the film received an R rating just two weeks prior to its release. A writing team consisting of Parker, Stone, and Pam Brady was assembled. They conceived numerous plot ideas, with Parker and Stone's being the one developed into a film. The film features twelve original songs by Parker and Marc Shaiman, with additional lyrics by Stone. The film was produced by Comedy Central Films, Scott Rudin Productions and Braniff Productions. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was released theatrically in the United States on June 30, 1999 by Paramount Pictures, with Warner Bros. handling international distribution. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its writing, soundtrack and themes. Produced on a $21 million budget, it went on to gross $83.1 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated animated film of all time, until it was surpassed by Sausage Party''in 2016. The song "Blame Canada" earned Parker and Shaiman a nomination for Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 72nd Academy Awards. Contents * 1Plot * 2Cast * 3Themes * 4Production ** 4.1Development ** 4.2Casting ** 4.3Writing ** 4.4Animation ** 4.5Post-production * 5Music ** 5.1Soundtrack *** 5.1.1Musical numbers * 6Release ** 6.1Promotion ** 6.2Home media * 7Reception ** 7.1Critical reception ** 7.2Box office ** 7.3Accolades ** 7.4Lists and records * 8Legacy * 9Possible sequel * 10See also * 11References * 12External links Plotsource One Sunday, the profanity-prone quartet of boys - sensitive straight man Stan Marsh, his zealous best friend Kyle Broflovski, destitute and muffle-mouthed Kenny McCormick, and the self-absorbed, overweight Eric Cartman - go to a cinema to see ''Asses of Fire, which stars the boys' favorite Canadian comedy duo Terrance and Phillip. However, the boys are refused entry due to the film strictly being R-rated, so they pay a homeless man to accompany them. The following day after the movie, the boys begin swearing everywhere they go. The other children are impressed and all see the movie as well - except for Wendy, the girl Stan likes, who spends her time with brilliant exchange student Gregory. The children swear profusely in school, which infuriates their teacher Mr. Garrison and leads to their mothers finding out. The children are forbidden from seeing the movie again, but after attending a class with school counselor Mr. Mackey that "cures them", they sneak out and watch it again anyway. Cartman bets Kenny $100 that he can't set his fart on fire like Terrance in the film - his attempt goes too far and he immolates himself and ultimately dies, causing Cartman, Kyle, and Stan to get grounded by their mothers for two weeks for seeing the Terrance and Phillip film once again. Kenny is sent to Hell for skipping Sunday churchwhen he went to see the film the first time. He is tormented by Satan and his new partner, the recently deceased Saddam Hussein. Kenny learns that Saddam and Satan have a dysfunctional relationship, and Saddam dominates and demeans Satan. Back on Earth, all the parents in South Park organize a boycott against Canada and Terrance and Phillip, led by Kyle's mother, Sheila. Terrance and Phillip are arrested as war criminals. When the United States refuses to release the duo, Canada retaliates by bombing the residence of the Baldwin brothers. Sheila and President Bill Clinton announce that the United States will go to war with Canada and have Terrance and Phillip executed at a USO show. After she overhears Cartman degrading her in a song, Sheila has Dr. Vosknocker implant him with a V-Chip, a device that administers an electric shock every time he swears. In Hell, Kenny hears Satan declare that the war is a sign of the Apocalypse and that when the blood of the two innocent Canadians touches American soil, he will invade Earth. Kenny attempts to persuade Satan to abandon Saddam, but to no avail. A ghostly Kenny visits Cartman to warn him. Unable to reason with their parents, the three boys form La Résistance, partly so that Stan can win over Wendy as well as free Terrence and Philip. Gregory takes charge of the group and develops a rescue plan. He tells Stan to recruit a God-hating French expert on covert operations named "The Mole". La Résistance infiltrate the USO show using the Mole's expertise, but Kenny's ghost scares Cartman again and he fails to deactivate an alarm. The Mole is discovered and killed by guard dogs, so the remaining boys attempt to warn their mothers about Kenny's prophecy and an attack by Satan and Saddam. They are laughed off, and Terrence and Philip's electric chairs activate. The Canadian Army attacks the show and a battle ensues between the two armies. In the confusion, the boys are able to free Terrance and Phillip - in the process, Cartman is electrocuted briefly and his V-chip begins to malfunction. The mothers, seeing the destruction their movement has incited, decide to give up and look for their children, leaving only Sheila clinging to the cause. After receiving a confidence-boosting vision from "The Clitoris", Stan leads the kids to Terrance and Phillip, who have been cornered by the US army. La Résistance forms a human shield while Kyle tries to persuade the army and stands up to his mother against the killing. The army begins to back down, but Sheila refuses and shoots Terrance and Phillip, which results in Satan, his minions, and Saddam emerging from a fiery portal and slaughtering at will, invincible to retaliation, with Satan personally telling Sheila just how badly she screwed up. Sheila finally begins to regret everything. Saddam successfully cows Satan once again and makes everyone bow to him as the lord of the earth, but when he insults Cartman, Cartman swears and a bolt of energy shoots through his pointing finger and kills some of the minions. Realizing his new power, and with Kyle's encouragement, Cartman starts using profanity to power himself up and shoot even more powerful electrical bolts at Saddam. Saddam continues to demean Satan and boss him around throughout this, which finally drives Satan to throw him back to Hell, where he dies on a stalagmite. Satan then thanks Kenny for supporting him and grants him one wish; Kenny asks for everything to return to how it was before the war, even though it means he will have to go back to Hell. He takes off his hood, revealing his face, and says goodbye to his friends. Everything returns to normal in South Park, but instead of returning to Hell, Kenny ascends to Heaven due to his act of sacrifice. Castsource George Clooney voices Dr. Gouache. Brent Spiner provides the voice of Conan O'Brien. Eric Idle performs the voice of Dr. Vosknocker. Main article: List of South Park characters * Trey Parker as Stan Marsh / Eric Cartman / Gregory / Satan / Mr. Garrison / Mr. Hat / Phillip Niles Argyle / Randy Marsh / Clyde Donovan / Tom – News Reporter / Midget In A Bikini / Canadian Ambassador / Bombardiers / Mr. Mackey / Army General / Ned Gerblansky / Christophe – Ze Mole (or The Mole) / Big Gay Al (singing voice) / Adolf Hitler / additional voices * Matt Stone as Kyle Broflovski / Kenny McCormick / Saddam Hussein4 (credited to "Himself") / Terrance Henry Stoot / Big Gay Al / Ticket Taker / Stuart McCormick / Jimbo Kearn / Gerald Broflovski / Butters Stotch / additional voices * Mary Kay Bergman as Liane Cartman / Sheila Broflovski / Sharon Marsh / Carol McCormick / Wendy Testaburger / Clitoris / additional voices * Isaac Hayes as Chef Jerome McElroy * Jesse Howell, Anthony Cross-Thomas and Franchesca Clifford as Ike Broflovski(Franchesca Clifford was credited as "Francesca Clifford") * Bruce Howell as Man In Theatre * Deb Adair as Woman In Theatre * Jennifer Howell as Bebe Stevens * George Clooney as Dr. Gouache ("Dr. Doctor" on screen) * Brent Spiner as Conan O'Brien * Minnie Driver as Brooke Shields * Dave Foley as the Baldwin brothers * Eric Idle as Dr. Vosknocker * Nick Rhodes as Canadian Fighter Pilot * Toddy E. Walters as Winona Ryder * Stewart Copeland as American Soldier #1 * Stanley G. Sawicki as American Soldier #2 * Chase Holt as American Soldier #3 * Mike Judge as Kenny McCormick (unmuffled) * Howard McGillin as Gregory (singing voice) (uncredited) Themessource South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a cautionary tale on the dangers of censorship. It uses the execution of Terrance and Phillip as the Seventh Sign in a parody of the Apocalypse. Cartman's use of foul language helps to avert the disaster. Parents and "lazy child rearing" come in for particularly sharp criticism. On their way to see Terrance and Phillip, the boys sing that "movies teach us what our parents don't have time to say!" During "Blame Canada" a couple are seen abandoning their baby in their enthusiasm to join Mothers Against Canada. The song ends with: "We must blame them and cause a fuss / Before somebody thinks of blaming us!" Much of the film's satire and many of the songs are concerned with the refusal of people to accept responsibility for failure and their tendency to look for scapegoats (some of the songs are also parodies of musical theatre, but this is usually secondary to furthering the satire). Movies, government, society, foreigners and Satan are all blamed, leading Kyle to remark: "whenever I get in trouble, you go off and blame everybody else. But I'm the one to blame. Deal with me."5 The movie is also self-reflective in nature. The enthusiasm the kids display for seeing the Terrance and Phillip movie reflects the creators' anticipation of the real world enthusiasm many people, including those under age, would experience to see the movie. Productionsource Developmentsource South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone co-wrote Bigger, Longer & Uncut, while Trey Parker became the director of the film. Developmental stages began for the film midway through the series' first season production in January 1998.6 Co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed a deal with Comedy Central in April 1998 that contracted the duo to producing South Park episodes until 1999, gave them a slice of the lucrative spinoff merchandising the show generated within its first year, as well as an unspecified seven-figure cash bonus to bring the show to the big screen, in theaters.7 A large part of Parker and Stone's conditions attached to any potential movie project was that it must at least be R-rated, to keep in touch with the series' humor and its roots, the short The Spirit of Christmas. Parker stated that their desire was to approach the film from a much more creative perspective and do something other than a simple movie-length version of a regular episode.6 Despite alleged pressure from Paramount Pictures officials to keep the movie toned down, the two won the battle for a more mature rating. "They really wanted to be able to go beyond the South Park television show," said Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox to TV Guide at the time. "They really fought hard for and won the right to make an R-rated movie."8 Paramount executives went as far to prepare graphs displaying how much more money a PG-13-rated South Park''feature would perhaps accumulate.9 The William Morris Agency, which represented Parker and Stone, pushed for movie production to begin as soon as possible, while public interest was still high, instead of several years into its run, as was done with ''Beavis and Butt-head Do America.10 Castingsource * The cast of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is mostly carried over faithfully from the television series. Co-creator Trey Parker voices the characters of Eric Cartman and Stan Marsh, and Satan, Clyde Donovan, Mr. Garrison, Phillip Niles Argyle, Randy Marsh, Mr. Mackey, Ned Gerblanski, the singing voice of Big Gay Al, the speaking voice of Gregory, The Mole, Adolf Hitler, and President Bill Clinton, as well as multiple other background characters. Matt Stone portrays Kyle Broflovski and Kenny McCormick, as well as Saddam Hussein (even though during the end credits it says that he was voiced by himself), Terrance Henry Stoot, Big Gay Al, Jimbo Kearn, Stuart McCormick, Gerald Broflovski, Bill Gates, and additional voices. Mary Kay Bergman voices Wendy Testaburger, the core mothers of the film (Sheila Broflovski, Sharon Marsh, Liane Cartman, and Carol McCormick), Shelley Marsh, and the clitoris. Isaac Hayes reprised his role from the series as Chef, and voice clips of staff children Jesse Howell, Anthony Cross-Thomas, and Franchesca Clifford make up Ike Broflovski. Guest voices for the film included George Clooney as Dr. Gouache, Brent Spiner as Conan O'Brien, Minnie Driver as Brooke Shields, Eric Idle as Dr. Vosnocker, and Dave Foleyprovides the combined voices of Alec, Billy, Daniel, and Stephen Baldwin.9 Michael McDonald as himself (the track "Eyes of a Child") and as Satan's high notes in "Up There", and Howard McGillin provides Gregory's singing voice in "La Resistance (Medley)". Stewart Copeland, former drummer for The Police, guests as an American soldier. Mike Judge, creator and voices of Beavis and Butt-head, King of the Hill and The Goode Family, provides Kenny's voice in his sole speaking appearance at the end of the film.9 Although initially denied by Paramount, Metallicalead singer James Hetfieldprovides vocals for the track "Hell Isn't Good", which was confirmed by Parker in the 2009 Blu-ray commentary.11 Category:Movies Category:Animated Films Category:Animation Studios by Little Airplane Productions Category:Animation Movies Category:Animation Films Category:G-Rated Films